Takes tough teeth to bite budget bullet

Do we want our government to run like Apple or like Ponzi's Security Exchange company?

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poconorecord.com

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Posted Mar. 10, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Posted Mar. 10, 2013 at 12:01 AM

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Do we want our government to run like Apple or like Ponzi's Security Exchange company?

We demand lower taxes and cost savings, but squirm when faced with making tough choices to get there.

Monroe County commissioners this week rejected a one-time 1 percent "cost of living increase," (aka: a bonus) to the pension plans of 120 retired workers.

That stinks. The commissioners who voted against it know it stinks. But that's what it takes to control costs.

Commissioner Suzanne McCool, a treasured advocate of the less fortunate, said the denial would only save $14,329 from a budget of more than $90 million.

Saying "it's just $14,000," devalues the work it took to earn that money and the sacrifice of those paying it in higher taxes.

It's also a lack of respect for scarce public funds. No amount is insignificant, particularly in the big budget picture.

Yes, it will hurt the 120 retired workers, some of whom are older. But awarding the bonus hurts all the elderly who have to pay for it — let alone those unemployed or struggling in this economy.

Budgeting requires choice and sacrifice. It's not for everyone. And rarely will you find one line item that will deliver nirvana, quell the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry or make diet soda taste like the real thing.

It also requires a philosophy. In a budget with hundreds of line items, maybe thousands, small savings add up.

For instance, the county, to control taxes, became less generous in the health care plan it offered employees last year.

Americans paid an average of 18 percent of the premium for their own health care and 28 percent of the premium for their dependents, according to a 2012 Kaiser study.

Monroe County employees paid an average of just 3 percent of their health care costs in 2011 across the board. The county picked up the rest.

After the commissioner's mid-year change, employees paid 8 percent in 2012 and are projected to pay 16 percent this year.

A zero-dollar deductible increased to $500 for an individual and $1,000 for a family. Co-pays were increased to reduce emergency room trips. Chiropractic visits were free. Now they cost employees $40 a visit.

Without a deductible, employees could go wherever they pleased, whenever they pleased.

Budgeting isn't for the faint of heart. The county had to lay off planning office employees this year after building permits fell 90 percent since 2000 and new subdivisions fell 100 percent last year. Increased automation in the office increased efficiency. Yet staffing remained relatively the same until recently.

There are no magic wands to reducing spending. Just cold, hard, reasoned decisions that are often tough for us to swallow.